Brush



April 9, 1946- y R. N. MILLER ETAL 1 25398241 BRUSH Filed March 3, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 @gwdw/ BY William Hmm,

APl il 9, 1946. .R N. MILLh- R ETAL 2,398,241

BRUSH Filed March 5, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 is. l

Ms INVENT ORS N Mille?" L H Grimma fab( ATTORN 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 9, 1946- R. N. MILLER ETAL BRUSH Filed March. 1943i lll r l l Patented Apr. 9, 1946 BRUSH Robert lN. Miller, no

Grindall, Narberth,

sylvania Railroad Com semont, and William H.

assignors to The Pennpany, Philadelphia, Pa.,

a corporation of Pennsylvania f Application March 3, 1943, Serial No. 477,887 12 Claims. (Cl. 15-183) This invention relates to brushes and has reference more especially to rotary brushes intended for employment in connection with railway track cleaning apparatus, such as disclosed in cepending applications Serial Numbers 477,885 and 477,- 886 filed by us concurrently herewith.

Amongst the aims of our invention are to render brushes, particularly those of the kind specifically referred to, more sturdy than heretofore for capacity to withstand hard usage in sweeping heavy and closely packed cinders and/or sand.

etc. from the railway track beds; to increase the useful life of the bristles; and to enable quick replacement of the bristles when necessary by reason of breakage or wear, at a minimum cost for time and labor.

In connection with brushes having the above attributes, it is a further object of our invention to effect, without necessitating the aid of additional or separate means, deflection of the sweepings laterally of the direction of brush movement,-in the case of brushes for track cleaning purposesinwardly from opposite ends of the same to keep the sweepings within the confinesof the track bed and thereby insure their complete removal in the manner set forth in the copending applications, supra.

How the foregoing and other objects and advantages can be readily realized in practice will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a rotary brush conveniently embodying our invention; y

Fig. 2 is a broken out axial section of the brush viewed as indicated by the angled arrows II-II in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail cross sectional view taken as indicated by the angled arrows III--III in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of one of the removable bristle-carrying segments of the brush.

Fig. 5 is a broken out perspective view of the backing plate of one of the brush segments.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional view of one of the brush segments taken as indicated by the angled arrows VI-VI in Fig. 4 and drawn to a larger scale.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken as indicated by the angled arrows VII-VII in Fig. 2 and showing the means by which the brush segments are removably secured to the core component of the brush.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the bristle elements of the brush; and

Fig. 9 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 showing a modification.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of these drawings, we have illustrated our improved brush in a rotary form adapted for use more especially in railway track cleaning apparatus of the sort featured in the copending applications hereinbefore referred to. As shown, the brush consists of three sections, an inner or center section I for operationen the portion of a railway track between the rails R. R. and two similar end or outer sections 2 for operation respectively on the side margins of the track bed beyond said rails. Except for slight differences incertain structural details to be particularly pointed out later and for being somewhat smaller as regards length, the outer sections 2, 2 of the brush are generally like the middle section I. Thus each of the brush sections comprises a core drum 5 with laterally spaced weld-secured heads 6 and 'l having axial bosses 8 and 9 which are centrally bored to t a hollow drive shaft III, and a plurality of segmental bristle-carrying components Il (Figs. 3 and 4) which are detachably secured to the said drum as presently explained, for convenience of ready removal when bristle replacements become necessary by reason of breakage or wear. From Figs. 3-5 it will be observed that each segment II includes a backing plate I2, which, for the most part is perforated, and which is transversely concave to fit the drum 5, the perforations I3 being arranged in intersecting longitudinal and crosswise rows. Centrally of opposite ends each backing plate I2 is provided on its outer face with square radially projecting lugs I 5, and with holes I6 at opposite sides of said lugs, see Figs. l and 5. The brush bristles I 1 are formed in pairs by bending out lengths of flat strip material which may be of metal, into the form of elements I8, such as the one illustrated in perspective in Fig. 8, having the conguration of a. hairpin. Incident to assembling the segmental components of the brush sections in accordance with our invention, the ends I'I of the bristle elements I8 are thrust outwardly through diagonally adjacent apertures I3 in the backing plate l2, the bristle elements in the group at the left of the transverse median of the plate in Fig. 4 being arranged at an angle contrary to that of the groups at the right. The :dats of the bristle ends I1 of the two groups are accordingly disposed at opposite inclinations to the direction of brush rotation (indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 4), with the result that the sweepings are deectedinward of the ends of the respective brush sections l and 2 to keep them within the confines of the track bed. At the inner face of each backing plate I2, the apertures I3 are beveled as at I3a in Figs. 3 and 6 for substantial conformity with relatively sharp head roundings of the hairpin bristle elements 8. Suitably bonded or otherwise secured to the outer face of each backing plate I2 is a relatively thick layer Is of elastic material such as rubber or the like which is penetrated'by the bristle ends I1, and which serves to reinforce the latter adjacent their roots to prevent fatiguing and fracture of the metal of the bristles' incident to the use of the brush. In order to facilitate placement of the brush segments II, the drums 5 are provided at circumferential intervals with spacing ribs or ridges 20, see Figs. 2 and 3, which have end projections 23a engaging through the shell of the drum 5, and which are secured by welding. As instanced in Fig. 7, the segmental components II of the center brush section I are fastened to the drum 5 of that section by screw bolts 2i whereof the shanks pass through the holes I6 Ain the ends of the backing plates I2 of such segments and take into the peripheral flanges of the drum heads 6 and 7. tions 2, the backing plates I2 of the segmental components II are similarly secured by screw bolts 2l respectively to the head 6 at the inner end of such section, and to flanged rings 22 welded into the outer end of the drum 5. Due to the greater length of the center brush section l, a split two-part clamp band 25 (Fig. 2) is ernployed as an additional securing means, said band embracing the backing plates i2 in central blank spaces 23 (Fig. 4.) between the two bristle groups in said plates. At opposite `ends, the brush sections I and 2 are provided with annular caps 2S which are of angular cross sectional configuration and nt over the series of radial projections I5 of the several backing plates I2, and which are secured to the heads 6 and I by bolts shown at 2l', the peripheral flanges 25a of said caps bearing laterally against the endmost bristles Il. Each smaller brush section 2 is similarly provided with end caps 25, one of which is bolted to the inner head 6 of such section, while the other of said caps is bolted to the flange ring 22.

Clamped to the shaft i between the central and the outer brush sections 2 are collars 3@ which have lateral clutching engagement as at 3l with the bosses 9 of the contiguous drum heads and 1 of said sections. the smaller brush sections 2 are disposed well inward of the'outer ends of said sections and have lateral clutching engagement at 32 respectively with collars 33 secured to trunnion eX- tensions 3d of the hollow shaft IU. As shown, the inner end portions 34a of the trunnions 3ft fit into the ends of the shaft I and are secured to the latter by welding as at 35, the collars 33 being keyed to said extensions at 3E. As a consequence of the construction just described, it will be seen that the brush sections I and 2 are fixed against independent rotation relative to their common carrier shaft IG. y

In practice, the brush is intended to be supported, with capacity to rise and fall relative to the track bed, by a pair of arms 37 having pivot eyes 38 at their outer ends, see Fig. l. As shown in Fig. 2, the arms 31, carry ball-bearings of which the housings are indicated at 39, in which bearings the shaft extensions 34 are freely journaled. One of the shaft extensions 34 (that at the left of Fig. 2) protrudes through the corresponding In each of the outer brush sec- The drum heads I ofr CIK bearing housing 39, see Fig, 2, for attachment thereto of a toothed wheel @il adapted to be chain driven in the way disclosed in our copending applications hereinbefore identified.

In the modification of Fig. 8, the bristle elements |331; are arranged in overlapping relation, and their ends passed through diagonally opposite pairs of holes |31: in contiguous rrows of the latter. This arrangement affords a greater number of bristle ends but does not result in lateral deflection of the sweepings as in the first described embodiment. In either embodiment, however, the angular disposal of the bristle flats with respect to the direction of brush movement, is advantageous in that the bristles are thereby stiffened against excessive flexure which ordinarily results in their taking a permanent bent or curved set with corresponding decrease in their sweeping eiciency.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

l. A brush having a rigid foundation element; a perforated bristle anchorage member detachably secured to the foundation element; bristle elements of hairpin configuration with their ends passed through adjacent holes in the perforated anchorage member and their bristle connecting bights securely clamped between said element and said member; and a relatively thick layer of rubber bonded to the outer surface of the anchorage member and penetrated by the bristle ends for yieldingly bracing the latter adjacent their'root anchorages.

2. A rotary brush having a foundation cylinder; and a plurality ofv bristle-carrying segments detachably secured circumferentially about the foundation cylinder, each such segment comprising a rigid transversely-arcuate plate which'conforms to the curvature of the foundation cylinder, and which has a relatively thick layer of rubber or the like bonded to its outer face and penetrated by the bristles to yieldingly brace them at their roots.

3. A rotary brush according to claim 2, in which the bristles are of hair pin configuration with their ends passed through spaced apertures in the anchorage member, and with the bights connecting their ends clamped between said meinber and the foundation element.

4. A rotary brush according to claim 2, in which the bristles are formed from fiat stripimaterial to hair pin configuration with their ends passed through diagonally arranged pairs of apertures in the anchorage member, and with the bights connecting their ends clamped between said member and said foundation element.

5. A rotary brush having a rigid foundation cylinder; a series of coextensve circumferentiallyspaced stop ridges projecting from and subdividing the outer surface of the cylinder in the segments; a plurality 0f bristle carrying elements removably secured to the cylinder, each such element comprising a rigid base plate of arcuate cross section coextensive in length with the cylinder and of a width to fit into the interval between a pair of stop ridges.

6. A rotary brush according to claim 5, in which cover caps removably secured to the opposite ends Aof the cylinder circumferentially overlap the ends of the platesv of the several bristle-carrying segments.

'7. A rotary brush according to claim 5, in which rcover caps removably. secured to the opposite ends of the cylinder circumferentially overlap the ends of the plates of the several bristle-carrying segments, and have projecting peripheral k'flanges to laterally contact the endmost bristles of the several segments.

8. A rotary brush according to claim 5, in which headed bolts secure the plates adjacent their ends to the cylinder; in which the plates are provided adjacent their ends with outwardly projecting lugs somewhat higher than the heads of the securing bolts; and in which cover caps secured to the opposite ends of the cylinder fit circumferentially about the lugs on the plates and overreach the heads oi' the securing bolts.

9. A rotary brush according to claim 5, in which headed bolts secure the plates adjacent their ends to the cylinder; in which the plates are provided adjacent their ends with outwardly projecting lugs somewhat higher than` the heads of the securing bolts; and in which cover caps secured to the opposite ends of the cylinder fit circumferentially about the lugs on the plates to overreach the heads of the securing bolts, and are formed with extended peripheral llanges to laterally contact the endmost bristles of the several segments.

10. A rotary brush according to claim 5, in which bolts are employed to secure the plates at their ends to the cylinder; and in which the plates are held to the cylinderintermediate their ends by an enveloping strap band.

11. A brush having a foundation element; and a bristle anchorage member detachably secured to the foundation element, said member being in the y form of a rigid apertured plate, and the bristles being of hair pin configuration with the ends of pairs of them passed through diagonally arranged pairs of the plate apertures, and with the connecting bights of such bristle pairs crossed one over the other and clamped between said plate and the foundation element.

12. A rotary brush having a foundation cylinder; and a plurality of bristle-carrying segments detachably secured circumferentially about the foundation cylinder, each such segment being in the form of a rigid transversely-arcuate apertured plate which conforms to the curvature of the foundation cylinder, and the bristles being of hair pin configuration with the ends of pairs of. them passed through diagonally arranged pairs of the plate apertures, and with the connecting bights of such bristle pairs crossed one over the other and clamped between said plate and the foundation cylinder.

ROBERT N. MILLER. WILLIAM H. GRINDALL. 

